The Irish standard., 1887-09-03
& PAPAL INTERFERENCE. ,
The Policy of the Catholic Church
Toward the State Explained
by the Pope.
FATHER 0'REILLY'S IRISH LETTER
The Conditions Under Which Leo XIII.
Has Restored Peace and Strength
ened Public Order.

lGIENGAR1FF, Aug. 2-Since my las
letter an event has occurred which ha
taken rank in importance with Bull
garian difficulty, the Egyptian question
and even with the mighty European
war, which eyer hangs like thunder
cloud over these Eastern complications
Leo Kill, in spite of the thousand
and one prophecies uttered to the con
trary by the senate, the pulpit, and the
press on both sides of the Atlantic, has
reopened the Roman question, and, al
the very moment when men in the Old
World and the New were taking on
themselves to declare to their ignorant
or prejudiced hearers ''that the Roman
question was as dead as the mummy OF
the last Pharaoh it starts into sudden
life, and is discussed by the whole
European press and by every court and
diplomatic circle in the civilized world.
And it is discussed favorably as regards
the Roman Pontifcate by all publicists
save those who are welded to extreme
radicalism. to the revolution, and to the
anti Christian sects bent on destroying
the Papacy, and with it the social order
and civilization created by Christianity.
Leo XIII. demands of the Christian
world that it shall take up and discuss
the necessity, for the welfare of Chris
tendon as for the peace, strength, and
well-being of Italy itself, of restoring
to the popes the city of Rome and the
States of the Church.
Doubtless the ocean cable will have
given to the American press ere now
the substance of the Papalletter of June
18th to the new Secretary of State, Car
dinal Rampolla, as wellas the substance
of the latter's communication to the
Papal Nuncios abroad. And doubtless
also American papers, both secular and
religious, haye uttered their Judgment,
in accordance with their lights, precon-
ceived opinions and prejudices, for or
against the reviving of this Roman
question, which the many deemed dead
and buried forever.
Just as 1 was reading both of the
above important documents for the first
time, an American gentleman, a Pro-
testant of the Protestants, and man of
high culture, happening to pass through
here, questioned me as to the signifi-
canoe of these acts of the Papal Curia
at moment when both in Europe and
America the current of public opinion
seemed to run so strong against the
exercise, even in mixed politico religious
matters, of Papal power, shorn as it is
of it's prestige and influence.
There is-so my informant assured
me. and was myself not unobservant
of the fact-a strong feeling of appre-
hension abroad, not only among the
non-C Catholic masses in our republic. bat
among portion-a large portion, he
thinks-of our Catholic citizens, es-
pecially those brought up in the public
schools, lest the Roman Curia should
assume "a certain imperialism" in deal
ing with the United States as with other
nations, Catholic and non Catholic.
The action of Leo XIII. in taking
cognizance of the constitution of the
knights of Labor among us, his as
sumption to sit in judgment on Masonic
and all other secret societies, are, by
American citizens (so my interlocutor
maintains), considered to be intolerable
interference with the rights of our citi-
zens and the legitimate use of indi-
vidual freedom. This fear of Roman
Catholic imperialism lies at the bot
tom of the Known Nothing sentiment,
and can rouse it into fierce action at any
time. Then, the late interference of
the Pope with the action of the Centre
party in Prussia, the influence brought
to bear, it is said, by his orders, OH the
Catholic voters of France during the
elections of 1885, the attempts just now
made to restore diplomatic intercourse
between London and the Vatican, and
the sending of a Papal Commissary to
Ireland, as if to verify the assertions
contained in the joint letters on Irish
affairs of the Archbishops and Bishops
of Ireland; all these are manifestations
of tendency to interfere with and to
control unduly the internal affairs OF
nations. which seem clearly not to be-
long to the sphere of ecclesiastical
jurisdiction.
Such. in substance, is the statement
snhmitted tn me- hv nv friend. Apart